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  1. #586
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    The three club legends who can save Titans from extinction

    Author
    Tony Webeck
    NRL.com reporter
    Timestamp
    Wed 17 Jul 2019, 02:00 PM

    The blueprint for the future success of the Titans lies in the club's past, if they care to look.

    Community. Commitment. Class.

    These are the pillars the Titans were founded upon and, as candidates to replace recently deposed coach Garth Brennan mount by the dozen, should form the basis of the club’s ethos.

    NRL.com understands club powerbrokers are leaning towards a head coach with a reputation as a man manager, not a disciplinarian brought in to whip an under-performing roster into shape.


    But in the wake of Mal Meninga's review of the football department, the first step should be to appoint three club legends as assistant coaches.

    Preston Campbell, Nathan Friend and Scott Prince.

    Community, commitment and class.

    Three of the 2007 originals who played more than 100 games for the club, Campbell remains one of the most beloved figures on the Gold Coast, Friend played 242 games based on complete dedication to physical preparation and Prince is regarded as one of the smartest tactical brains of the modern game.


    NRL.com has been told Friend was so desperate to help resurrect the club's on-field performance that shortly after Brennan's appointment in October 2017 he approached the coach, executive chairman Dennis Watt and co-owner Rebecca Frizelle to offer his services, only to be told the budget wouldn't allow it.

    Instead club hierarchy have been trying to force separate pieces together from different puzzles hoping something would eventually fit.

    Since the sacking of inaugural coach John Cartwright in August 2014, staff and players have been brought in from Townsville, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra and Brisbane, playing into the stereotype that the Gold Coast is a place populated by people from elsewhere and without a soul of its own.

    Look through the football departments of successful NRL clubs and you will see a consistent spread of former legends connecting today’s players to the club’s history.

    Craig Fitzgibbon at the Roosters; Billy Slater at the Storm; Justin Hodges and Corey Parker at the Broncos; Paul Bowman, Ash Graham and Aaron Payne at the Cowboys; Brett Stewart at the Sea Eagles.


    Other than football manager Anthony Laffranchi, the Titans seem to have made a conscious decision to keep many of those who helped to build the club at arm’s length.

    When Friend returned to the Titans in 2016 on minimum wage for the final season of his career the club had changed significantly, yet he was a key figure in a gritty side under Neil Henry that scrapped its way to a finals appearance.

    Prince has made steady progress in his coaching career and his role as Queensland under 20s coach would do the club no harm in the battle for the best young talent emerging in south-east Queensland and the Northern Rivers of NSW.

    Given Tim Sheens has been touted as a potential contender for the head coaching role, his connection with Prince at the 2005 premiership-winning Wests Tigers provides another piece of synergy.

    The influence on the players would also be significant.

    Between them Prince and Campbell might be exactly the mentors struggling halfback Ash Taylor needs to resurrect his flailing career while Friend can build on the attributes being shown by inspirational lock Jai Arrow.

    Already touted by Maroons legend Billy Moore as a future Queensland leader, Arrow is reportedly the prime target for a number of NRL rivals when he comes off contract at the end of next year, Titans officials fully aware the Burleigh junior’s retention is a priority.

    The former "King of Keebra", Arrow is capable of developing into a leader in the mould of Sam Burgess at Souths, Boyd Cordner at the Roosters and Jake Trbojevic at Manly. He was strongly considered as interim captain when Ryan James went down with an ACL injury early in the year and is garnering a reputation as the first choice for the player others want to line up alongside.

    Veteran fullback Michael Gordon, who returns from injury in Sunday's home clash with Melbourne, has no doubt Arrow can develop into such a figure but says there are aspects he needs to improve in order to reach the realm of the likes of Cordner.

    "He's a potential future leader if that's what he wants. It's probably up to him whether he wants it or not,” Gordon told NRL.com.

    "They're probably different styles of player. Seeing Boyd up close and watching the things he does is unbelievable. He looks like he can't even walk and then he'll come and take a tough carry.

    "Jai's still got a bit to get to there but he's a different style of player and the work he gets through is unbelievable.

    "There are probably a few little things at the back that I pick up that I'm always into him about.

    "If he tidies those things up he'll be a 10-year Australian and Origin player."

    But more importantly for the Gold Coast, a 10-year Titan.
    Last edited by SCoast Titan; 17-07-19 at 06:48 PM.

  2. #587
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    ^^^^ I’ve let Webeck know as well today what I think of his using the word “extinction” in his headline too

    Media are pissing me off big time today

  3. #588
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Bods View Post
    ^^^^ I’ve let Webeck know as well today what I think of his using the word “extinction” in his headline too

    Media are pissing me off big time today
    There are plenty of other articles for us to blow up about. This one is actually relatively positive.

  4. #589
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    Well, if there is no such thing as bad publicity we must be worth billions.

  5. #590
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    Quote Originally Posted by willhelm View Post
    There are plenty of other articles for us to blow up about. This one is actually relatively positive.
    As I said-it was the “extinction” word that I went to task about.
    I’m not putting up with it.

  6. #591
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    Does Prince actually have time to be involved though? With his touch and coaching for Queensland I wouldn't imagine he has much time left over. It would be great to have these ex players back though! Rogers name should also have been included in this article as he is effectively begging to be part of the club again in some way. We should also give Tallis the boot as an official ambassador too. I actually really like the raging bull but whenever he's on the Matty Johns show they boys delight in taking the piss about how he never knows what is happening at the club. He is Bronco's through and through - it's just a pity that none of our ex players have gone into media

  7. #592

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    Thought I would post in here as well..


    @Cody_KayeFOX

    Dale Copley very strong on how much more intensity there's been at training since Brennan was sacked...

    That's a hell of an admission that @GCTitans Titans players weren't playing for the coach, or buying into his methods. They seem genuinely relieved.

  8. #593
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    Quote Originally Posted by BundyTitan View Post
    Thought I would post in here as well..


    @Cody_KayeFOX

    Dale Copley very strong on how much more intensity there's been at training since Brennan was sacked...

    That's a hell of an admission that @GCTitans Titans players weren't playing for the coach, or buying into his methods. They seem genuinely relieved.
    The difference between last week and this week is chalk and cheese for sure
    Hope that bender Garth went on in Tamworth was worth it.

    Thanks Garth. Well done.

  9. #594
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    Quote Originally Posted by NZFan View Post
    Does Prince actually have time to be involved though? With his touch and coaching for Queensland I wouldn't imagine he has much time left over. It would be great to have these ex players back though! Rogers name should also have been included in this article as he is effectively begging to be part of the club again in some way. We should also give Tallis the boot as an official ambassador too. I actually really like the raging bull but whenever he's on the Matty Johns show they boys delight in taking the piss about how he never knows what is happening at the club. He is Bronco's through and through - it's just a pity that none of our ex players have gone into media
    I don't mind Tallis. He's always stuck up for us. I wouldn't take too much offence that he doesn't know what is going on at the club because who does? He's not a paid ambassador from memory and he's always had that soft spot. The flogging he gave the Broncos at the start of the year when everyone was crowing they had the best forward pack the Broncos had ever seen was great and on the money.

  10. #595

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    HOW WALKERS WERE ROBBED OF JOB

    Mal Meninga will take charge of the hiring of the Titans’ next coach with the Gold Coast culture boss to head-up a panel to appoint Garth Brennan’s successor.

    Blindside can reveal Meninga will spearhead a subcommittee that will include executive chairman Dennis Watt, co-owner Darryl Kelly and board member Geoff Jones, a heavy-hitter in the Australian business world.

    Meninga is one of the most street-smart operators in rugby league and will not allow the Titans to go through the shambolic process that led to Brennan’s appointment two years ago.

    In 2017, following the sacking of Neil Henry, former Titans CEO Graham Annesley, now the NRL’s football-operations chief, presided over a panel that interviewed five candidates.

    The group interviewed were current Titans assistant Craig Hodges, former NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley, now Wests Tigers mentor Michael Maguire, Ipswich duo Ben and Shane Walker and Jason Demetriou, Wayne Bennett’s right-hand man at Souths.

    Brennan was never interviewed.

    Jones and Annesley went through detailed interviews with each of the quintet. The standout performers were Hodges and the Walkers.

    The committee were leaning towards rubber-stamping the Walkers as Henry’s replacement when they were overruled by board members Kelly and Rebecca Frizelle, who were about to receive the Titans licence from the NRL.

    The new co-owners made an executive decision to hire Brennan despite him not being on the shortlist of interviewees. Annesley was left stunned.

    The move to appoint Brennan turned out to be a disaster. This time, the Titans can’t afford a similar mistake and rest assured Meninga won’t accept any eleventh-hour appointments without thorough due diligence.

  11. #596
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    ^^^^ looks to me like Calamity Annesley is whipping it out and leaking to the media from his ivory tower now he is back in Sydney. Very vain man is Annesley.

  12. #597

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Bods View Post
    ^^^^ looks to me like Calamity Annesley is whipping it out and leaking to the media from his ivory tower now he is back in Sydney. Very vain man is Annesley.
    Thank God he was over ruled. The Walkers should not even be seriously considered. We do not need gimmicks and blokes that have essentially achieved nothing for a few years. If they get a start this time God help us.

  13. #598
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    Other than not knowing what irony is that isn't a bad article along the same thinking as me. Players need to be made responsible for their poor efforts. PS do yourself a favour and watch the new Top Gun trailer.


    Gold Coast players’ attitudes need a Titanic shift
    Performance is attitudinal and some of the performances over the past two or three years from Titans players as a collective have not been acceptable.

    Darren Lockyer, The Courier-Mail
    Subscriber only

    Watch the official trailer for Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVRHG6z7sN8

    It is time for Titans players to take ownership of the club’s performances, and time for the senior players to drive new cultural standards for the Gold Coast.

    It is ironic that Gold Coast’s clash on Sunday is against Melbourne, for it is the Storm’s wonderful culture of success and ultra-consistent performances under Craig Bellamy that should be their template.

    It is never pleasant to read of any coach’s sacking and while Garth Brennan was always going to face some heat after 12 wins from 40 games, Gold Coast’s playing group need to ask themselves some tough questions.

    Am I doing enough to set the right standards to enhance our culture? Is my preparation for an NRL game good enough?

    In the past two years, the Titans have sacked two coaches, Brennan and Neil Henry.

    On both occasions, player disenchantment has been the undercurrent that ultimately sealed their fate and that must ring alarm bells for Titans management.

    A coach’s job is to find the formula to get their players to play for them but once you cross that line on the weekend, they don’t run on the field making tackles and charging into the defensive line.

    Performance is attitudinal and some of the performances over the past two or three years from Titans players as a collective have not been acceptable.

    I remember my time at the Broncos under Wayne Bennett and we had a group of senior players who took ownership of Brisbane’s performances when we crossed the line as a team.

    Wayne presided over the program, structure and methodology of Brisbane’s quest for success — but it was the playing group that had to buy in and take responsibility.

    In that context, the Titans need to develop more leaders who won’t accept bad habits and will work in tandem with the new coach to establish the club’s playing identity and culture. Jai Arrow has been inspirational for the Titans over the past two seasons, and Ryan James not far behind him, but they need teammates such as Jarrod Wallace, Ash Taylor, and Kevin Proctor to step up and lead with their actions.

    One of the issues with the Titans is self-belief. When the chips are down, as a squad they haven’t been able to hang in there and show some resilience — a trait that good leadership builds.

    The appointment of Mal Meninga as culture chief has been crucial in giving the club some self-belief and the gravitas to make the Titans a successful brand.

    But with Meninga having no interest in becoming head coach, the pressure is on Gold Coast bosses to make the right call on Brennan’s successor.

    The Titans require a mentor who can build a culture of high standards while developing leadership qualities in his playing group.

    A number of candidates have been mentioned, so the Titans board are faced with a decision that could make or break the club.

    They are at a crossroads.

    The demise of Brennan has reignited talk about the Titans’ future as a club, but, as a code, we simply can’t allow the Gold Coast to fail.

    There has been talk about the Titans moving games to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium but that concept would be fraught with danger.

    It would seriously erode the Titans brand.

    The Titans need to own the Gold Coast and back themselves to stay where they are.

    There is no better formula in sport than winning and the Gold Coast can be a fickle sporting market with so many other lifestyle options.

    But if the Titans give the people a reason to get behind them, they will.

  14. #599

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    https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...0f938e9c967a73

    ST Helens Coach Holbrook admits to interest in Gold Coast titans coaching role.

    St Helens coach Justin Holbrook has broken his silence to declare his interest in the Titans job as the Gold Coast ramp-up their search for Garth Brennan’s successor.
    On the eve of the Titans’ clash against Melbourne on Sunday at Cbus Super Stadium, The Sunday Mail can reveal Holbrook is available and ready to rescue the embattled club after receiving an approach from Gold Coast management.
    The former Newcastle, Penrith and Roosters halfback’s coaching record at St Helens is remarkable. Holbrook has won 46 of his past 52 games for an 88 per cent strike rate — and his career record at St Helens is 61 victories from 76 matches for an 80 per cent success rate.
    St Helens are currently leading the Super League by a staggering 10 competition points, with Holbrook having steered Saints to 20 wins from 22 matches this season.
    Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters has been heavily linked with the Titans post, but it is understood Holbrook is high on Gold Coast’s hit list.
    Speaking to The Sunday Mail from the UK, Holbrook confirmed he is keen to launch his NRL career and admitted Mal Meninga’s presence at the Titans as culture-and-performance chief has major appeal.
    “I am extremely happy coaching at St Helens but I do have aspirations to coach in the NRL,” Holbrook said.
    “Depending on the process the Titans take I would definitely be open to discuss any opportunity.
    “I note the Titans have made some major changes over the past 12 months to their front office which certainly has them heading in the right direction.
    “They have added the likes of Mal Meninga to increase their football intelligence, which is a major boost for the club.
    “The Gold Coast region has produced and continues to produce some tremendous rugby league talent.
    “The Titans should be the team young kids in the region aspire to play for.”
    Holbrook, who played 17 NRL games between 1999-2002, ticks the boxes for the Titans on a number of fronts.
    As an NRL rookie, he would not command top dollar from a Titans organisation renowned for being fiscally prudent.
    Holbrook has premiership credentials, having won two lower-grade titles at the Bulldogs in 2010-11 during his 14 years in coaching.
    He steered the Junior Kangaroos to three consecutive defeats of the Junior Kiwis in 2015-17, coaching the likes of Victor Radley, Matt Lodge, Nathan Cleary, Tevita Pangai Jr and current Titans halfback Ash Taylor.
    He has proven to be a popular man manager at St Helens. When Saints beat arch-rivals Wigan 32-10 last Friday week, the home fans launched a public appeal from the stands at full-time, chanting: “Justin Holbrook, we want you to stay”.
    Holbrook is off-contract at season’s end and is in talks to extend his stay for a further two years in Super League unless an NRL club secures his services.
    The 43-year-old has also shown an ability to preside over the type of rebuilding project required at the embattled Titans.
    When Holbrook took over from sacked club legend Keiron Cunningham in 2017, St Helens were in crisis in seventh spot.
    Within 12 months, Holbrook steered St Helens to the minor premiership with 21 wins from 23 games, only to suffer a shock 18-13 loss to Warrington in the preliminary final.
    This season, Saints will finish top of the league again and are raging favourites to win the 2019 premiership.
    Manly legend Geoff Toovey is looking for a way back into NRL coaching. Image: Damian Shaw Manly legend Geoff Toovey is looking for a way back into NRL coaching. Image: Damian Shaw Broncos legend Darren Lockyer was stunned by Holbrook’s win percentage and said it was vital the Titans picked the right candidate after their blooding of Brennan backfired badly.
    “Holbrook’s record is seriously impressive,” he said. “The Titans require a mentor that can build a culture of high standards while developing leadership qualities in his playing group.”
    Walters is unlikely to get the Titans job as he has no interest in going through an interview process.
    Former Manly coach Geoff Toovey and Ipswich co-coaches Ben and Shane Walker have put their hands up, but Holbrook is among the Titans’ preferred candidates.
    Holbrook concedes he was blown away by the St Helens’ fans impassioned plea for him to stay loyal.
    “I appreciate the fans and it was great to hear them singing my name after the game, it gets me a bit emotional, that’s for sure,” he said.
    “I’ve got no update (on his future), so we will see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
    “I don’t get distracted at all and I don’t think I ever will to be honest. I love what I do, I love the position I’m in and I’m always going to enjoy coaching.
    “It’s great (to be wanted) and I’ve got the players to thank for that because of how well they are playing. They make my job easier.”

    - - - Updated - - -

    Also important to call out Mals review which calls out signing juniors from 14 instead of 16 to stop poaching from the broncos and to also strengthen pathways into the tweed. Mal saying we have signed 14 of the undefeated LD cup squad that won earlier this year. Great to hear

  15. #600

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    I don’t know where the not signing of player under the age of 16 cause I know they signed darius Farmer at 14-15


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